Hard Top compatibility

Diebs · Post by **Diebs** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:28 pm

I'm currently looking to buy my first MX5 and would prefer to have a detachable hardtop. Are the hardtops specific to the year & model, or one size fits all? I'm looking at 1990 - 2001

MX5PWR · Post by **MX5PWR** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 8:10 pm

Hardtops will fit all cars from 1989 (NA series I) to 2004 (NB series II). i.e the year of manufacture of the hard top does not have to match the year of your car. It is only the new NC models that the previous hardtops will not fit.
Some have heated rear windows and some do not. Either is fine as it is easy to clear the rear window by just putting the blower on.

Post by **zorruno** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:46 pm

Diebs wrote:Are the hardtops specific to the year & model, or one size fits all?

Hi Diebs, I started writing a response then I couldn't stop typing so I made it into a FAQ here:
http://www.mx5forum.co.nz/viewtopic.php?t=8448

cheers

Diebs · Post by **Diebs** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:05 pm

Thats excellent - thanks for the speedy help

Diebs · Post by **Diebs** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:38 pm

Well, I went ahead and bought my MX5, an NB, lowish kms, emerald green with tan upholstery, and pretty standard mechanically. I drive it around with the top down whenever its not raining. Absolute bloody bliss!! I've decided I don't need a hard top after all.

I've been lurking here ever since, and thought its about time I posted & became a "real" member.

R LTD · Post by **R LTD** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:58 am

I like my hardtop. It could be an age thing. In winter its warm and on long trips the car is quieter. Also believe the car looks “better” with the hard top. Mine is colour matched. It’s easy to remove so one can get the best of both worlds. Interesting that Mazda’s latest MX5 can be purchased with a folding hard top. This model is on my wish list.
Also enjoy being “top down” but we can take a fetish about “top down” too far and fail to appreciate the benefits of the hard top.

Zoom Zoom
R LTD

<SNIP>

Anthug · Post by **Anthug** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:08 am

I agree, having purchased a hardtop recently, I am reluctant to remove it due to functionality and aesthetics.

Regards,

Anthony.

<BIGSNIP>

Post by **zorruno** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:44 pm

I bought a hardtop a few years ago. Only because it was such a cheap deal and I had big plans to sell it...

I have kept it though although it doesn't get used much, just occasionally if I know it will be parked in a dodgy area, because my rear plastic zip is broken. Or if I have a passenger and it is very cold (it is lined - not all of them are). My wife drove it a lot with the hard top on for a while when we reduced to one car a few years ago.

Driving with it on is a different driving experience though, and a shiny black with shiny black hardtop looks spectacular...

The hard tops are slightly lower at the back than with the soft top up, making them look like a raked back coupe. No where near as nice as a shiny NA with the roof off though IMO

Visibility in the rain is much better with a hard top than soft top, but usually I just leave the rear window down in the rain anyway. Actually, all the time at the moment now it is broken!.

A couple of times in the past I've driven somewhere with the top on and immediately regretted not being able to take the roof off when the rain stopped. Once I took the hardtop off at a cafe in the country, and picked it up the next w/end

They thought I was a little mad but were happy to store it for the week...

PS - don't forget to read (or add to) the hard top FAQ here:
http://www.mx5forum.co.nz/viewtopic.php ... ht=hardtop

PPS - people... please don't forget to trim your posts when posting via email! Moderators, don't forget to trim ones that get missed...

Bazza · Post by **Bazza** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:25 pm

My hard-top came with the car, at the time I thought the price was right and the hard-top almost came as a bonus. It was a bit tatty with an orange-peel paint effect but a re-spray brought it up great, we now have a nice black top over white body look. In our opinion (me and wife) it looks much nicer than the soft-top, although I agree with Zorruno, nothing looks as good as "no top."

As senior type citizens we find the option of the hard-top in winter well worth considering. If we can whip it on and off as easily as we do, I can't see any reason why that aspect should put anyone off.

One or two overseas forums I look at seem to have an almost childish attitude towards putting any form of roof up, perhaps why in the UK they seem to have rust problems never experienced here. Each to his own ?

This is our first winter with the car but I can see a date coming up soon when we'll make a decision and take it off permanently for the summer.

In hindsight, I wouldn't go out and buy one - but I'm going to hang onto mine.

WiM · Post by **WiM** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:39 pm

Guys,
Just like most of you I don't like driving a convertible with the roof up. I did buy a hard top because I got a really good deal, and I was very happy with it! It helps the regidity of the car if you don't have a lot of bracing under it, and in winter it is very nice to climb in a damp free car

This was in Europe...
I am currently looking at buying a 5 here in NZ, and will be checking an early red NA out over the weekend. It comes with a black hard top, and a slashed soft top... will see what happens.

BTW I am in ChCh and looking for places that sell the soft tops without installing them. I have installed close to 30 soft tops on 5's before so don't need them to do it. Any idea who has a good price around here?
I will be getting a zippered top BTW
WiM

Anthug · Post by **Anthug** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:48 pm

Hi Wim,

Probably cheaper to import your own from USA.

Regards,

Anthony.

WiM · Post by **WiM** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:10 pm

Is it really cheaper, after Import Duties and Shipping??
Anybody done this?
WiM